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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Day 89: I have nothing to write... but wait

Sometimes I don't know what to write on this blog. Today I had nothing. I thought I'd slap up a Hipstamatic photo I took with the new app on my iPhone and leave it at that. But that doesn't seem like much of a blog entry to me. That's not why you showed up here, dear Reader, to have me post a photo so you could look at it, shrug and get on with your day.

Actually, I don't mind so much. It's the long-winded posts that are tough, not the visual whimsy of the photos.

Well said.Thanks.

I imagine you, dear Reader, getting into the office, turning on your computer, sipping your coffee, glancing through your emails, then heading off to your usual daily sites. Maybe you have them organized on your iGoogle page. You see the latest blog entry from yours truly and smile, knowing that you can rely on me to bring you fresh posts daily.Wow, you had me pegged.

It's a gift.

When days like today come along, when I don't know what to write, a voice in my head says, Figure it out when you get there.

So I do. I open a new page to begin a post and something magical happens. I figure out what to write. I can spend hours avoiding it, wracking my brain trying to figure out what I want to say, or I can show up at the page and figure it out from there.

The same is true with any art form, whether it's a script to write, a canvas to paint or even a text to send. (I know some people who have a gift for texting. It's their best medium.) The lesson here kids is this:

Show up and figure it out from there.

Will inspiration hit every time you show up at the page, canvas or phone? Maybe not. But I believe we increase our chances if we show up to see. For instance, right here and now, I had no clue what to write before I showed up here and now we have a little lesson on creativity.

I'm still kinda craving a photo.

Oh alright.

This is my friend Jim from my local coffee shop. He's just about the coolest dude on the planet. You can also check him out at my new blog Daily Hipstamatic. I don't know how I'll manage to find a photo to post everyday but... I'll show up and figure it out when I get there.